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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. stock — goods
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. mine — for digging
  6. staff — employees
  7. staff — a stick
  8. can — a tin
  9. bore — to tire
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. staff — employees
  12. roll — a list
  13. lie — to recline
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. can — a tin
  18. stock — shares
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. bore — to drill
  22. can — to be able to
  23. perch — the fish
  24. roll — a cake

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com